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Hon. Troy Liburd

 

“Bones in Rice, Pepper in Soup” all over again !! says observers

Hon. Troy Liburd : “…..as a Nevisian, how does anyone convince us that this was not a deliberate attack on all of us. I firmly believe that every insult was intended by those who perpetrated this attack on us. The National bank was the weapon that was used to cause injury and shame to all Nevisians. Consider though who runs this bank.”

 

Charlestown, Nevis (April 24^th 2014):-In what has been described as one of the worst acts meted out to Nevisians since the infamous “Bones in your Rice, Pepper in You Soup” statement by former Premier  His Rt Excellency Sir Robert Bradshaw,  hundreds of Nevisian Civil Servants were yesterday unable to receive their due salary for the month of April. The Outrage throughout the island was palpable as hundreds were unable to receive their salaries as the Federally owned St.Kitts-Nevis Anguilla National Bank placed a freeze on a $3.2 million deposit that was made by the CCM Led NIA to cover $2.8 million in salaries for the month of April. 

The  bank apparently placed a freeze on the deposit in an effort to put pressure on the Administration to address the huge Overdraft  of $62 million left by the previous NRP Led Nevis Island Administration.  The overdraft limit at the time was $50 million.

It is widely felt that the Dr Douglas led Labour/NRP Federal Government who is in charge of the SKNA National Bank , may have orchestrated the action in an effort to discredit the CCM who have formed an alliance with two other major parties known as Team UNITY.

Team UNITY controls the Elected Majority in the St.Kitts-Nevis Parliament and it’s leader Dr. Timothy Harris commands the majority support of Elected Parliamentarians in the twin island assembly.

The Dr Douglas led administration has been under tremendous pressure to bring for debate  a 16 month old Motion of No Confidence that was brought by Opposition Leader Hon. Mark Brantley, who is also Deputy Premier of Nevis.

The facts regarding the situation and it’s genesis are as follows:

 

• The Hon. Vance Amory led CCM Concerned Citizens Movement assumed office and leadership of the Nevis Island Administration  in January 2013.  The overdraft balance at the St.Kitts-Nevis Anguila National Bank was  $ 62 million. The overdraft limit was $50 million. Therefore the previous NRP Led Nevis Island Adminsitration left an overdraft amount of $62 million which was $12 million over the limit.
• Newly Elected Premier Hon. Vance Amory and the new CCM led NIA wrote to the bank and asked for the limit to be increased from $50 Million to $65 million , in an effort to allow the new NIA to have some room within to operate . Bank officials informed the NIA that they had unofficially been allowing the previous NRP administration to operate at 60 million and would therefore be minded to formalize that amount with the new CCM Administration. After which the CCM Administration could  apply for a further $5 million thus giving the new Administration the room it desired and felt necessary to operate and to smoothly carry on the business of the people.
• The CCM Administration  formalized the $60 million overdraft left by the NRP Administration with the bank and then  immediately wrote as per the suggestion of the bank for an increased amount of  $65M to be formalized. Premier Vance Amory stated in an address to the nation that to date the SKNA National Bank has yet to reply or respond  . Despite the lack of formalization the government overdraft was allowed to fluctuate between 60 – 65 million, depending on the amount of bills and the flow of revenue.

 

• On Tuesday 22^nd April , one day before salaries are due, the Ag Permanent Secretary in the Nevis Island Administration’s Ministry of Finance was contacted  by Bank Officials and informed that amounts beyond the formalized $60 million would not be honored. The balance on the account at the time of this refusal was $61.8 million , which is less than the $62 million OverDraft left by the previous NRP Led NIA.  The NIA deposited $3.2 million into the bank, most of it in specific preparation to pay salaries. The total amount frozen by the bank was $2.3 million.

 

Nevis Island Administration Junior Minister  Hon. Troy Liburd used social media to express his outrage and made the following statement

“…..as a Nevisian, how does anyone convince us that this was not a deliberate attack on all of us. I firmly believe that every insult was intended by those who perpetrated this attack on us. The National bank was the weapon that was used to cause injury and shame to all Nevisians. Consider though who runs this bank.”

Minister Liburd further stated “ In deed a dark day in the history of the great Nevisian people. Wednesday, 24th April, ( Black Wednesday). A day that will live in infamy, for the blatant attack on the people of Nevis, by an institution that claims to work for the people, Built up on the blood sweat , and tears of many Nevisians. This was indeed an attack on all Nevisians , irrespective of political affiliation , or any other petty things that divide us at times. It is time we realize, that the things that bind us together, are far greater than the petty things that we squabble about. Nevisians, My brothers, and sisters, we should be united in condemnation of this most high handed, despicable wrong perpetrated against us on Black Wednesday. They have , by their actions shown us how little regard they have for us. that some how we are to be trampled upon, and rolled over. They will claim that somehow there is justification, but there is none. There is only an ingrown lack of respect, and a cultivated disdain for anything Nevisian.”